Ancient Greece

Flashcards for Ancient Greece lecture notes

Where is Modern Greece?

A small country in south-east Europe near the Mediterranean Sea.

What did Ancient Greece civilizations have?

Had government, religion, arts, writing, and architecture.

What areas did Ancient Greece include?

Included the Greek peninsula, Crete, the west coast of Asia Minor, and islands in the Aegean Sea.

What is the Greek Landscape like?

Mountainous

What are Greek City-States (Polis)?

Independent entities with their own governments

What is Acropolis?

The city-state’s ancient Greek name, polis. The territory of the polis was usually fairly limited. It had its own government.

How did the natural relief affect the Greek City-states?

Separated city-states leading to their development

Did the Greek City-States unify?

No, they did not unite under one ruler.

Was there a City-States Central Government?

There was no central government in ancient Greece

What is a Monarchy?

Rule of a king

What is an Oligarchy?

Rule of the few

What is a Democracy?

Rule of the people

What is Culture?

Ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society

What caused Cultural Differences among City-States?

Resulted from the mountainous terrain and seas that separated them.

What is Athens?

Ancient Greek city state

What is Sparta?

Ancient Greek city state

What were the Athenian Jobs?

Farmer, fisherman, craftsman, or trader

What was Athenian Education like?

Well rounded education including reading, writing, arithmetic and literature, music and physical education to create good citizens.

What was Spartan Education like?

Focused on military and physical training; reading and writing were not valued.

Who is Socrates?

The father of philosophy

What was an Athenian Cultural Activity?

Drama was performed in the ancient theatre In ancient Athens, people were more interested in art and literature. Athens - Ancient Theatre.

What does the term Playwright refer to?

A person who writes plays. A piece of writing intended to be performed by actors in a theatre Comedies and tragedies

What was the Athenian Lifestyle like?

Centre of arts and architecture e.g. Parthenon Freedom

What was the Spartan Lifestyle like?

Military Fought and conquered

What was the Athenian Economy based on?

Trade

What was the Spartan Economy based on?

Farming and Conquest

What rights did Athenian Women have?

More rights to vote, own property, remarry.

What kind of jobs did Athens Slaves performed?

Skilled craftsmen, clerks, teachers, household managers, farmers, factory workers and workers in the silver mines

Describe some characteristics of Spartan Slaves?

More slaves than citizens. They could marry, sell extra crops and buy freedom Slaves

What is a Government?

The group of people who control and make decisions for a country

What does the Legislative Branch do?

Makes laws (Parliament)

What does the Executive Branch do?

Administers Law (Head of State, Head of Government, Cabinet)

What does the Judicial Branch do?

Interprets Laws (Courts)

What is Democracy?

Government ruled by people

Describe Athenian Power?

All male citizen aged 20 or above could join the assembly and discuss politics, which shared power.

What did the Athenian Council do?

Council members met every day. Council members were paid. They drafted proposals for the Assembly to vote on, and Monitored the carrying out of policies.

What are Proposals?

The act of offering or suggesting something for acceptance, adoption, or performance

What Power did Athenian Citizens have?

Power to propose bills Legislative

What is a Trial by Jury?

When a group of citizens decide if a person is innocent or guilty of a crime.

Describe Athenian Government Power?

Citizens had the power to draft bills, discuss and pass bills, be officials and be jurors.

What is Oligarchy?

Ruled by a small group of people

What was the Assembly?

It was formed by Spartan citizens. They elected the elders and the five ephors. The Assembly voted on the bills proposed by the Council of Elders. But it had no right to discuss the bills.

What could Spartan Citizens do?

They could serve in the Council of Elders and the Assembly.

What Power did the Assembly have?

Elected the elders and the five ephors

Describe the Council of Elders?

There were 30 members. Apart from the two kings, it consisted of 28 elders chosen from nobles aged over 60.

What power did the Council of Elders have?

Withdraw and re-submit the bills again, meaning that the Assembly could not reject any bills.

Who could be the members of the Assembly?

Spartan citizens were automatically admitted to the Assembly once they reached the age of 30.

When did the Spartan Kings have power?

Only given power in time of war.

The Ephors

Elected

What is the role of the Ephors?

Oversaw the kings' actions and protected citizens' rights.

How was land ownership in Sparta?

Land was owned by the state, not individuals.

What was the Krypteia in Sparta?

A secret police force that monitored and controlled the Helot population.

Who were the Helots in Sparta?

State-owned serfs who formed the main labor force.

What was the purpose of the Spartan military?

To maintain control over the Helots and protect Sparta from external threats.

Describe the social hierarchy in Sparta.

Spartans (citizens), Perioeci (free non-citizens), and Helots (state-owned serfs).

How did Spartan women contribute to society?

They managed property and ensured the production of strong Spartan warriors.

What was the Agoge in Sparta?

The state-sponsored education and training system for Spartan boys.

How did Athens use its navy?

To protect trade routes and project power throughout the Aegean Sea.

How did Pericles influence Athenian democracy?

He expanded participation in government